Referring to knowledge

Referring to abilities, skills

Referring to attitudes, values and norms

The teaching methodology combines lectures with a practical component and complementary activities (case studies, exercises, IT practicals, etc.), completed individually or in small groups, either in class or at home. The teaching hours are distributed as follows: 

— Weekly sessions: Two 1.5-hour sessions are held. These combine theoretical explanations with practical examples to support the achievement of the learning objectives. 

— Practical/tutorial sessions: One 1-hour session per week. This session is used to address the students’ questions, review exercises and work on specific practical exercises or cases. These sessions are carried out in small groups every two weeks.

Students are provided with PowerPoint slides for each topic. These include key concepts, examples, explanations, and suggested readings. The Virtual Campus is also the place where students can consult their grades and other information about the assessment procedure. It is used to provide access to other types of support material, including videos and the Excel templates used for IT assignments in the computer rooms.

Attendance at all on-campus activities is important to follow the course successfully. However, students who opt not to attend are encouraged to study the bibliography for each topic and to complete all the exercises and case studies independently. Solutions to course assignments are posted on the Virtual Campus. Students opting for continuous assessment must attend all the practical sessions, as some assessed exercises are carried out and submitted during these sessions.

Continuous assessment

Continuous assessment requires active participation throughout the semester and consists of the following:

 

a) M&A project: Analysis of three press releases on recent corporate transactions, linking them to the content covered in Topics 2 and 3 of the program (as explained on the first day of class and available on the Virtual Campus). The project is completed in groups of up to six students. A written report of approximately six pages is required, along with a 15–20 minute class presentation supported by PowerPoint (or similar). This is worth 20% of the final grade.

b) Multiple-choice test: A test of 15–20 questions covering Topic 1 and Topics 4–7 of the program (uploaded to the Virtual Campus). Topics 2 and 3 are not included in this exam. This is worth 30% of the final grade.

c) Final exam: Covering Topics 8 to 12 (uploaded to the Virtual Campus) and worth 50% of the final grade.

d) Attendance: Attendance at all sessions is compulsory, including those at the end of the semester in which continuous assessment students give their presentations.

Examination-based assessment

Single assessment consists of a final examination worth 100% of the final grade and covering the whole course syllabus.

The exam consists of two parts—one theoretical and one practical. The final grade is only calculated if the student obtains at least 3 out of 10 points in each part. (It does not include a multiple-choice section.) Each part accounts for 50% of the final grade. A final grade can only be calculated if students obtain at least 3 points out of 10 on each part.